Since beginning this accountability work in 2009, the goal has always been to move towards accountability based
on individual student growth over time.
Methods that
measure individual student growth as compared to their own previous scores are better indicators of progress than comparing this year's third grade to last year's third grade, etc..
They will measure
individual student growth toward college and career readiness and provide data that can inform decisions regarding teaching and learning, program improvement, and educator effectiveness.
Growth norms provide teachers the necessary context for
setting individual student growth targets, a powerful way to help students take ownership of their own learning.
No matter what form an educator's evaluation ultimately takes, focusing
on individual student growth and achievement within a nurturing environment will ensure success.
Some want all schools to take the same tough tests and all low - performing schools (those that fail to
show individual student growth over time) to be shut down (or, in a voucher system, to be kicked out of the program).
In 2012, when NWEA first surveyed parents, 68 percent «completely» or «somewhat» agreed that formative and interim assessments provide data
about individual student growth and achievement.
In schools and districts that take on a wide variety of roles and serve diverse student populations, more focus should be put on measures that
impact individual student growth and their ability to access the curriculum.
Measures that
describe individual student growth from one year to the next in relation to learning standards that span multiple grades or in relation to the progress of students» peers.
The movement toward differentiated instruction will, no doubt, become more entrenched in our mainstreamed curricula as a result of the increased scrutiny
of individual student growth, particularly as it relates to teacher effectiveness.
and teacher defined objectives
for individual student growth.; and high High quality developmentally appropriate, standardized tests that provide valid, reliable, timely and meaningful information regarding student learning and growthmay be used for quality, formative evaluation.
Third, the achievement data that we have collected do not
track individual student growth over time, but instead are based on annual snapshots of grade - level and school - level performance.
By
measuring individual student growth as opposed to aggregate proficiency, confounding variables are mitigated to an ignorable level since the exact same set of students is analyzed against an equated set of standards.
The reason we have operated only «A» rated schools every year since 2006 is primarily because 60 percent of that grade has been based
on individual student growth, a metric on which our scholars and teachers post some of the most dramatic improvements year - over-year.
• Reward operators for
individual student growth that takes into account formative and summative assessments.
«
Individual student growth must feed into a school's rating system, though states should have the flexibility to determine the specifics of this requirement.
States must build assessments and data systems to allow for
individual student growth to be tracked over time.
There is no need for any teacher anxiety if the focus remains on
individual student growth and achievement.
A new focus has emerged, and teachers and principals will need to become more cognizant of
individual student growth each year.
The type of assessment most often used to measure
individual student growth is a progress monitoring graph (see below).
We formalized our data team structures, holding instructional staff accountable for tracking common assessment data by reading standard, analyzing that data for strengths and weaknesses, and setting SMART goals for
individual student growth.
The state added performance - based student subgroups and
individual student growth measures to the mix.
But this spring, the Indiana General Assembly threw out that system, telling state education officials to instead focus on measuring
individual student growth.
Even where student learning is addressed, it is mostly subjective — teacher - created assessments, district or school assessments, student work (papers, portfolios, projects, presentations); teacher defined objectives for
individual student growth.
Dayton also drew praise for plans to reduce the number of standardized assessments students take and make sure that the tests administered measure
individual student growth, to create alternative pathways to teacher licensure that maintain teacher quality and to establish a statewide teacher performance evaluation and development system.
The benchmarking procedure provides a helpful guide for monitoring progress and adjusting intervention plans based on
individual student growth, and it sets useful interim goals for predicting student outcomes.
The department is asking for input from assessment experts on certain issues, such as the evidence states should submit to demonstrate that they are using high - quality assessment systems, and the best practices related to measuring higher - order thinking skills and
individual student growth.
First, and foremost, it's important to keep in mind that at every level of accountability — school, district, and state — the level of «Evidence» being sought is that of
individual student growth.
If I were to toss Fordham a bone, that along with the shift of focus to
individual student growth might be it.
«We believe that once folks hear about the impact on test scores, graduation rates, and
individual student growth that comes from effective school libraries, they will respond,» says Chrastka.